Episodes

The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD — Anniversary Special

In this special anniversary episode of The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD, Brian reflects on an incredible year of conversations, stories, and moments that remind us why people—and their stories—matter so much.

When this podcast began, the mission was simple:

to shine a light on ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Over the past year, guests have shared powerful stories of resilience, leadership, loss, perseverance, ...

In Episode 53 of The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD, Larry and Cheri Salazar share their journey of family, entrepreneurship, and their mission to help more working Americans achieve the dream of homeownership.

This episode explores entrepreneurship, homeownership, leadership, workplace culture, employee retention, and why modern employee benefits must evolve to meet today’s workforce challenges.

Larry and Cheri discuss the realities of the entrepreneurial path — the challenges, risks, a...

What if the most important shift in your career isn’t about your company… but about you?

In Episode 52 of The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD, I sit down with Kelly McGinnis — writer, leadership voice, and creator of the Substack Lead with Kelly — for a candid conversation about ownership, learning, and personal responsibility.

Kelly challenges a belief many of us quietly carry: that companies are responsible for building our careers.

They’re not.

We are.

This conversation explores wha...

What does leadership require in 2026?

Dr. Guy Beaudin returns to launch the first of three conversations in this year’s Leadership Series — focused on the inner work that shapes external results.

Drawing from their respective vantage points — Guy advising CEOs and executive teams around the world, and Brian having led from the sales floor to CEO — they share a candid, unscripted dialogue about the real journey of leadership.

Not the highlight reel.

The pressure.
The decisions.
The mistakes.
...

Episode 50 is a milestone — and Robby Incmikoski returns for a conversation about something listeners rarely get to hear discussed honestly: the business of being a broadcaster.

Behind every voice you hear on game day is preparation, pressure, timing, and a deep commitment to storytelling. Robby pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build a career behind the microphone — from the craft of live broadcasting to the changing world of sports media.

We talk about baseball, broadcasting,...

Almost everybody has a memory of a baseball game—walking into a stadium and feeling a rush of memories come flooding back.

In this episode of The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD, Brian sits down with Robby Incmikoski for a conversation that uses baseball as the backdrop—but life as the main story.

Robby shares what it was like growing up in South Philly, where sports weren’t just something you watched—they were part of who you were. Together, they explore why every stadium is different, h...

Ten years ago, I lost my wife Susie.

In Episode 48 of The Most Important Podcast Ever, I reflect on a decade of life after loss through a Top Ten list shaped by grief, love, faith, leadership, and gratitude.

This is not a story about cancer.
It’s a story about living after loss — and what it means to lead a family through the aftermath of grief, one day at a time.

I share lessons from caregiving, from the quiet weight of responsibility, and from the unexpected ways love continues to show up l...

Angelica Garcia is living proof that you can make time for the things that truly matter.

Angelica wears many hats: she’s a producer at StreetSide Studio 7, a producer on The Most Important Podcast Ever, the proprietress of a bookstore inside Deja Bleu House of Coffee, the owner of a mobile bookstore, the host of the Pages of INK Podcast, and a barista who helps keep her community connected.

In her 20s, Angelica faced a life-changing heart health crisis that required a pacemaker—an experience t...

Dana Peterson is a true entrepreneur and TikTok Shop creator, balancing stay-at-home mom life while building a business rooted in trust.

In Episode 46 of The Most Important Podcast Ever, Dana shares her origin story—starting her TikTok Shop journey in June 2024—and breaks down the art and science behind creator-led commerce.

We talk about:
• How to start a TikTok Shop
• What “going viral” really means (100,000+ views)
• Why you have to have a good hook
• Her go-to Look for Less category
• How ...

Work is changing—but dignity, purpose, and people still matter.

In this episode of The Most Important Podcast Ever with Brian J. Dunn, Brian sits down with Joe Kalkman, a seasoned HR professional, to explore how work has evolved across generations—and what leaders must understand to navigate the future of work with humanity and trust.

This conversation dives into:

Generational shifts in how people view work, purpose, and loyalty

Why there is still dignity in work—and why people’s work matter...

In first episode of 2026, Karen is back after completing her marathon in Australia—an achievement that completed all of the world’s major marathons. Fewer than 50 women in the United States have ever reached that milestone. Butthis conversation goes beyond medals and finish lines. Karentalks about the unique community that forms around regular marathoners—thefriendships built in early mornings, the quiet encouragement shared on longruns, and the bonds created by showing up again and again. It’s ...

As we close Season 1 of The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD, I wanted to do something a little different.

This episode is simply a thank you.

Thank you to the guests who trusted me with their stories.
Thank you to the listeners who showed up week after week.
And a very special thank you to the crew—Thomas, Shawn, Mary, and Angelica—for lending their talents and giving so generously of their time. This show would not exist without you.

To close the season, I share a family tradition that ...

A Christmas Carol — Episode 4 | The Finale: Redemption, Renewal & the Power of Change
In the powerful finale of A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge comes face to face with the ultimate question: Is it too late to change?
Guided by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Scrooge confronts the consequences of a life lived without compassion—and discovers that redemption is still within reach. This final chapter is a timeless story of hope, accountability, generosity, and the extraordinary power of tra...

In Episode 3 of our four-part adaptation of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is guided by the Ghost of Christmas Present—a Spirit who reveals the power of generosity, compassion, and human connection in the here and now.

Through moments of joy, hardship, laughter, and love, this episode invites us to look honestly at how we show up for others today. Dickens reminds us that Christmas is not found in perfection or abundance, but in empathy, shared humanity, and the sim...

In Episode 2 of our four-part Christmas table-read experience, the timeless magic of Charles Dickens deepens as Ebenezer Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Past. Guided through memories long buried, Scrooge is confronted with the joys, heartbreaks, and choices that shaped the man he has become.This cinematic audio performance—recorded inside StreetSide Studio 7 at Deja Bleu House of Coffee—combines live narration, character voice acting, music, and immersive sound design to bring Dickens’ clas...

Step into the timeless world of Charles Dickens as we bring you Episode 1 of our four-part dramatic telling of A Christmas Carol, performed at StreetSide Studio 7 inside Deja Bleu House of Coffee in Alexandria, Minnesota.In this opening chapter, Dickens sets the stage with one of literature’s most famous lines: “Marley was dead, to begin with.” We meet Ebenezer Scrooge—hard and solitary as an oyster—on a bitter Christmas Eve filled with missed chances at joy, kindness, and connection. As night f...

In this special Thanksgiving episode, Brian takes listeners from his very first Black Friday as a young salesman — working the floor, shaking off nerves, and discovering the magic of retail — to the years when he was appearing on national television doing live hits about the biggest shopping day of the year. He shares the behind-the-scenes moments, the unexpected humanity in the chaos, and the lessons he carried forward from those early mornings and long lines.

From there, Brian reflects on Sea...

Welcome to Episode 37 of The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD.
Today… we’re doing something a little different.

Usually, I’m the one asking the questions—listening for the inflection points, drawing out the stories, and trying to understand what life has taught the people sitting across from me. But for this episode, we decided to turn the tables. And I couldn’t imagine anyone better to take the interviewer’s chair than my friend— and one of the best communicators I’ve ever known—Michael Vo...

Debbie Estes is humble, smart, and driven — the kind of leader who makes things happen. From the White House to major retailers like Dayton’s, Target, and Best Buy, she’s helped shape some of the most memorable brand experiences in America. In this conversation, Debbie reflects on her early inspirations, the lessons learned from doing what others said couldn’t be done, and how to create experiences people feel, not just events they attend. Her career has touched everything from Target House at S...

In the third installment of our leadership series with Dr. Guy Beaudin, we explore The Inner Game of Leadership — where energy, recovery, and resiliency determine whether leaders can sustain the weight they carry.

This isn’t about strategy or organizational charts. This is about what happens inside the leader — in the quiet moments when pressure builds, energy fades, or life hits harder than expected. Dr. Beaudin draws on decades of coaching senior executives around the world to explain why lea...

In this episode, Brian sits down with Dawn Bryant, a respected communications professional and leader whose life is a testament to resilience, intention, and the pursuit of peace. Dawn shares how a traumatic experience from long agoreshaped her priorities — inspiring her to live with greater empathy, gratitude, and freedom.

Today, Dawn and her husband work remotely while traveling the country in their RV, living life on their own terms. She talks about the logistics of life on the road — from f...

In Episode 33, We sit down with lifelong best friends Tammy Nipper and Tara Larson—a dynamic duo whose bond has stood the test of time. They share the story of their 50-year friendship, filled with laughter, love, and lessons on how to make connections last through every season of life. From growing up side by side to watching their own daughters become best friends, Tammy and Tara prove that true friendship isn’t just about shared memories—it’s about showing up, again and again, no matter what.

In this episode, Coach John Tauer shares his perspective on what it means to lead with purpose — on the court, in the classroom, and at home. A teacher, mentor, and family man, Coach Tauer reflects on how he builds teams grounded in trust, character, and connection. He discusses the importance of relationships that last a lifetime and the parallels between coaching a team and raising a family. His insights offer a masterclass in purposeful leadership — one defined not by wins and losses, but by ...

Episode 31 – Eric Curry: The Call That Matters Most
Dad. Executive. NCAA Men’s Basketball Official. Friend.
In this episode of The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD, Brian sits down with his friend Eric Curry — a devoted father, accomplished business executive, and respected NCAA Men’s Basketball official.

Eric has made thousands of calls on the court and countless decisions in the boardroom, but he’s quick to remind us that the most important role he’s ever had is being a dad. Through stori...